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Russian, French diplomats discuss Libya

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov reaffirmed "commitment to promote the political process...with the end goal of establishing united bodies of power able to resolve the current issues"

MOSCOW, May 16. /TASS/. Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov and French Special Envoy for Libya Frederic Desagneaux have discussed the situation in Libya during a meeting on Thursday, the Russian Foreign Ministry informed.

"During a detailed discussion, [the diplomats] have touched upon the current situation in Libya with special attention paid to the importance of putting an end to armed confrontation and establishing a stable inter-Libyan national dialogue in the interest of ending the prolonged crisis in the country," the ministry noted.

The Russian side has reaffirmed its "unwavering commitment to promote the political process in Libya with the end goal of establishing united bodies of power able to resolve the current issues in an effective manner, including the fight against terrorism and extremist ideology." Bogdanov has also confirmed Russia’s support of UN Envoy for Libya Ghassan Salame’s efforts on facilitating peace in the country.

French Ambassador to Russia Sylvie Bermann has also taken part in the meeting.

Currently, Libya has two supreme executive authorities, namely Tripoli’s government of National Accord recognized by the international community and headed by Prime Minister Fayez al-Sarraj, and the interim government headed by Prime Minister Abdullah al-Thani, which operates in the country’s east along with the elected parliament and is supported by the Libyan National Army.

In early April, Field Marshal of the Libyan National Army Khalifa Haftar announced the launch of an offensive against Tripoli. Sarraj ordered all military units loyal to him to gear up to defend the capital. The warring factions are currently involved in battles along the outskirts of Tripoli.

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